


Love Stronger than Death

by AStephens1971



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coma, Hospitalization, Hospitals, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-10 08:25:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1157345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AStephens1971/pseuds/AStephens1971
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gang comes together when Justin, in a coma, lands once again in the hospital.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Stronger than Death

Justin was in the hospital—again—in a deep coma.

Why? What did it matter—Brian was feeling an eerie sense of déjà vu, only this time—it wasn’t a question of whether he loved Justin, it was a question of—would Justin live to see another day, would Justin live to be joined to Brian in holy matrimony, would Justin live to spend the rest of his life with Brian in his palace?

The whole gang was there—even Linds, Mel, J.R.—and little Gus, who, as tears welled in his own eyes, couldn’t seem to understand why his Daddy was so sad, why practically the whole group in the otherwise empty waiting room shared the same somber expression.

Suddenly, Brian lifted his head. “Sunshine?” he whispered, his voice cracking. In his mind, he heard Justin talking to him:

_I’m here, Brian. No, I haven’t died. Don’t cry, Brian—I’m actually trying to come out of this—trying to come back to you. I’m fighting this as hard as I can, but I need your help. Love me, Brian. Oh, I know you said it at Babylon, but I need to know—do you really love me more than all those other men—more than all of them combined?”_

_Yes_ , Brian thought, the tears now freely flowing. _I do love you, my Sunshine, my life._ Michael sat on one side, stroking his hair as he had before, Ben even reaching across to lay a reassuring hand on Brian’s thigh. Jennifer sat on his other side, taking his hand in her own, even as her own worried tears flowed.

Heads bowed, and Brian could sense mouths moving in silent prayer. He recalled his time with Debbie shortly after the bombing. If ever he needed reassurance, it was now!

Slowly, it was as if he found the courage to speak, no, to sing. It started low, but as he went on, his voice gained more strength.

_“You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine._   
_You make me happy, when skies are gray._   
_You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you.”_   
_Please don’t take my Sunshine away.”_

He repeated it, only to discover that the gang was slowly joining in. By the time they had finished, the door opened, and the doctor stepped out.

“Kinney family?”

Eyes glanced up in hopeful expectation. As the doctor stepped forward, they waited with bated breath.

A soft smile crossed the doctor’s face. “Justin just came out,” he said, “and you were the first one he asked for.”

A gasp went over the room, followed by joyful cheers. Even little Gus had found his way from Lindsay’s hold to his daddy’s outstretched arms. Brian just scooped him up into his arms and held him close, even as more tears—joyful tears—welled in his eyes.

Debbie glanced knowingly at the gang, and most of them left, until only Brian and Jennifer were left.

“Oh, Brian,” Jennifer whispered, as she took him in her arms one more time, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if—” Tears welled in her eyes and she collapsed on Brian’s shoulder, sobbing softly.

Brian didn’t know what else to do—he just held her close, as their tears freely flowed. “Me, either,” he admitted. When they had regained their composure, Brian held out his hand, which Jennifer took without hesitation, and they went to Justin’s room.

Justin lay in his bed, trying to fully recover from his coma. He heard a soft knock at the door. “Come in,” was his raspy summons.

“Oh, Justin,” Jennifer cried, running over. Justin just reached out his hand, and she filled it in an instant, coming in to kiss his cheek. “I didn’t know if you’d make it.”

Another hand brushed back his hair, and he looked up at the source of the touch. Of course, he knew that touch like—well, the back of his hand. “Bri…?”

“Would you like some water, Sunshine?” Brian asked softly, coming in to stroke his cheek.

“Ye…” Justin’s voice was too raspy to complete the answer. Brian nodded to Jennifer, who grabbed a cup and filled it with refreshing ice water.

Finding the bed control, Brian raised Justin to a sitting position and took the offered cup, which already had a straw in it. Justin latched onto the straw, sipping until all the water was gone! “Thanks,” he whispered.

“What happened, Sunshine?” Brian wanted to know.

“Who knows,” Justin replied, still a bit raspy. He looked into Brian’s eyes, which shone once again with the threat of tears. “All I know is—I missed you more than life itself.” He touched Brian’s face, bringing it down to his own in a soft kiss.

Having come to the hospital from Kinnetik, Brian reached into his inside coat pocket, taking out a familiar small box, lifting the lid to reveal two rings. “As soon as we get you out of here,” he whispered, “I am so ready to put these on.” For the first time that day, he felt his mouth turn up into the slightest hint of a smile!

The sight made Justin smile as well—only his turned into his Sunshine smile! Looking into Brian’s eyes, he whispered back:

“Me too, Bri.”


End file.
